Speaker
Description
This paper critically examines the transformation of spatial planning in Brazil, marked by a shift from participatory and comprehensive frameworks grounded in master plans and zoning regulations to negotiation-driven, project-specific approaches shaped by the interests of private investors. Historically, Brazil’s planning system has adhered to the normative principles of the City Statute, emphasizing participatory processes and formal regulations as mechanisms for promoting social justice and equitable urban development. However, the financialization of urban policies has introduced new dynamics and actors, exerting substantial influence over urban transformation.
Using São Paulo as a case study, mainly focusing on Urban Intervention Projects (UIPs), this paper explores how these instruments reflect a hybridization of planning practices. UIPs allow developers to propose tailored projects that adapt established planning regulations, creating tension with the participatory and equity-oriented ideals embedded in the national framework. These negotiations, often prioritizing financial imperatives, challenge the inclusiveness and equity goals traditionally associated with comprehensive planning paradigms, raising critical questions about the evolving role of planning systems in balancing public interest with market-driven urban transformations.
This study argues that Brazil’s shifting planning practices do not merely represent a retreat from comprehensive planning but rather an adaptive response to the tensions between financialization and participatory ideals. By analyzing the broader experience of UIPs in São Paulo, the paper identifies strategies and insights for navigating contemporary challenges in urban governance and safeguarding social justice within negotiation-based frameworks.
| Keywords | Comprehensive Planning; Financialization; Social Justice; Urban Governance |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
